Rocketeerjim Grow Log - "Twiggy" (Miracle Fruit)

[RocketeerJim]

[Sorry for the double posting of the pics here and elsewhere]

Ok, I purchased from a local grower "Ron" my first Synsepalum dulcificum (Miracle Fruit), picked it up in Diamond Bar and brought it home on my Rocket III. I was a bit surprised at how small this "one year old" plant is but in reviewing the ebay photo it is the right size. It came packaged in a USPS priority mail small mailer box, complete with growing instructions and a sample of an acidifier that Ron would rather sell to me in larger quantities than identify it to me. Typical Capitalist! Ron's a nice fellow, though and it was indeed kind of him to give me the sample. Probably enough for the first year or two as it only takes 1/8 tspoon per gallon of water and I don't foresee this twiggy little thing drinking a whole lot of water. Anyways, I'm going to follow Ron's directions and leave it in the travel pot for a few weeks, until I see roots coming out the holes in the bottom of the pot. Indirect sunlight all the way and I'll keep it inside for warmth. Since it grew locally I have little concern that I will kill it with improper climate. I guess it likes a 50/50 peatmoss/perlite mixture with no other soil.

[nothim]

wiggy bigboy is kickin'!!!!!

jimmy, find about the acidifier, it is very important , that 's how i f mine!

ask ronnie if the acidifier is sulfur granules, see his reaction...., also, you will need(as myself , but my budget is nil for the moment)a ph meter, you can get it from ebay from around 5 or 6 uk pounds.

the tree is like my ex girlfriend , very pretentious(fastidious )---bare in mind that!

[RocketeerJim]

Hi Boolie!!

I asked Ron. He declined to identify it but said I could buy more from him.

I found a veritable smorgasbord of acidifiers here: http://www.thefind.com/garden/info-fertilizer-acid-loving-plants
but I didn't pick through it for reference to synsepalum dulcificum.

Find the following [email protected]http://web.archive.org/web/20071203010213/http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/miraclefruit.html
Location: As an indoor plant, provide the plant with bright light such as a well lit window. In the summer the plant can be moved with care to a warm, lightly shaded spot.
Soils: An acid soil is a must for miracle fruit. They prefer a soil acidity of pH 4.5 to 5.8. This can be achieved by planting in equal parts Canadian acid peat and pine bark. Also peat and perlite mixes are said to give excellent result. In the basic soils of California, the plants slowly die back until virtually only the stems remain. Allow the roots of the plant to fill the container before transplanting into a larger one.

Irrigation: Be sure that the soil is well draining as the plants do not like to sit in wet soils. Coming from a tropical climate they need highly humid conditions. When indoors, especially during the winter months, a small clear plastic bag put around the plant and supported by wood or a wire frame is helpful in maintaining humidity. Also, placing the plant container on a tray with stones on the bottom and filled with water to the top of the stones will add humidity to the local area. Misting the leaves with good water also helps.

Fertilization: Use a water soluble fertilizer such as Miracid and follow the label directions. Use sparingly with frequency dependent on the growing season, fertilizing more frequently during the summer months

Pruning: In general, there is no need to prune the miracle fruit plant.

Propagation: Propagation of miracle fruit is usually either by seed or cuttings. As the seed viability is short, plant the cleaned seed immediately just below the soil line When shipping cleaned seed for others to plant, package in a small plastic bag and enclose a slightly moistened toweling. Seed that are allowed to dry can be shipped for at least two weeks but rapidly loose their viability.

Pests and diseases: Watch for mealybugs, spider mites and other indoor potted plant pests. Waterlogged plant will succumb to root rot.


I checked an online forum at http://www.miracletaste.com/index.php?topic=76.0. In it, about half-way down the page, a member attached the photo below. Can anyone identify the manufacturer of the "Bloom" 0-10-10 he writes about? Closer to the top of the page someone refers to Giberellic acid. Never heard of it.

[ChemistKen]

Giberellic acid(GA) is a plant growth hormone, NOT a fertilizer or a acidifier. I actually have a good amount of pure GA powder which I add to my water supply to some of my plants. I would not recommend the average joe to use pure GA unless they have a good scale or other way to measure weight and/or a good way to measure volume. GA will increase the growth rate of many plants(especially vegetables), and may increase the chances for a new seedling. Pure GA is also more difficult to dissolve(insoluble in water). However some plant growth fertilizers may contain a small amount of GA(like 10-50ppm) so you could look out for those.

And there are so many acidifiers that you could safely use for your plant so no worries there.

[Ulmdorgr]

That brand isn't "Bloom" - many things are called Bloom. The label at the top left looks like "Equinox" but it's cut off.

Check this out, Jim: http://www.bizrate.com/fertilizers/0-10-10-fertilizer/

[ChemistKen]

And some possible new revelation, I think the acidifier which ron uses with the miracle fruit plants is potassium phosphate(monobasic) which has a similar appearance to the stuff ron sells, is cheaper(he would make a profit), and has a low pKa(4.4-4.7) which means it will acidify the water.

Monopotassium phosphate is used in fertilizers, being a good source of potassium and phosphate that many plants need, and is also fungicide...and like I said, identical to Ron's stuff appearance wise and could definitely be it based on cost since he would make a considerable profit selling it for that price, and it is definitely capable of acidifying water down to the range that miracle fruit plants like...

[RocketeerJim]

Yeah, I "yahood" "Equinox Bloom 0-10-10" but didn't find anything helpful, Ulm. Thanks for the link - looks like there's quite a bit out there.

Ken, if you've seen Ron's acidifier, you must've bought a miracle fruit from him, no?

[nothim]

i doubt , it got to be something based on sulfur, the plants love the acid !

[ChemistKen]

Yes I most certainly did, I'll post a grow log for it soon, it's already doing well

Well monopotassium phosphate is a common acidic fertilizer and is considered quite acidic...based on the appearance of his stuff I don't think its sulfur based, and it looks alot like monopotassium phosphate...I'll for sure investigate it more...

Currently the fertilizer I'm giving the miracle fruit plant is "Miracid" from miracle grow, which is formulated for plants that thrive on acid...I might try adjusting some water with potassium phosphate and give that to the miracle plant...

[RocketeerJim]

ok, well, Twiggy is apparently dead, dried out although the dirt in the travelpot never dried out. Only needed watering once . . . . Probably the couple of hours in direct sunlight killed it. "Be careful with these plants they don't like direct sunlight." Sheesh.
Twiggy's grow log, signing off!

[nothim]

sorry to hear that, mine are not better either, though i experiment with seeds and some sprouts from 2 year old trees that i neglected during winter ,
the trees just sprouted 2 tiny branches each, and i just planted them outside for a month or two , til the temp drops , i will see how they do, the rest of the few sprouted seeds i got them indoors in mobile small greenhouses , those on the west side do better , the temp is lower there and they like it , those on the east are having a hard time cause of the heat which increases the humidity to extreme inside the greenhouse, i noticed that if i leave it open for one hour the tiny leaves start to dry ...

miracle fruit has been a real challenge ----it grows really slow and it needs lots of humidity and lots of light and temp at 20 all the time ----hard to achieve all of them together , no to mention the acidity .....

[Ulmdorgr]

='( I'm proud of you guys for trying! This thing seems like a real pain. Jim: I've moved this thread to The Graveyard, as I think that it will be forgotten about. Feel free to continue a discussion here, if you feel like it.

[nothim]

the trees just sprouted 2 tiny branches each, and i just planted them outside for a month or two , til the temp drops , i will see how they do

i brought them back inside the greenhouse after 2 or 3 days spent outside.

they did not like it outisde - they started to dry fast....

[DanG]

As i mentioned before, I got two small cuttings from thailand. They were in a terrarium for 4 months because the internet said it needs to be in a humid environment. But i noticed that the leaves were always pale green. I decided to move them out and just monitor constantly if they didn't like it outside and turned out they love the weather in my country.

Before all these, I experimented on the two. Plant A i moved outside on a shaded place and the Plant B I left behind in the aquarium. I did this for about a month and I've noticed that the one outside grew faster and had a darker shade of green on their leaves. I didn't water the soil that much, I just misted Plant A's leaves and soil regularly and it seemed to like it.

So now they are both outside under the shade and doing great. Miracid might help but I've read that if you want em to bear fruits then 20-20-20 fertilizer will do the trick. I fed mine with slow release 14-14-14 fertilizer. Will wait it out.

I guess i'm just blessed with the weather here considering our temp never goes down below 70'F and it's fairly humid.


On a side note. If some of you plans to visit the Philippines, do drop by on our local seedling bank in Manila. There are a ton of cheap plants if you convert dollars to our local currency.
I was just walking along minding my own business and then I saw a Miracle Fruit Plant about 2 feet tall and really bushy! I acted on impulse and bought it for $10. Now it's been sitting here for about two months now and it bore one fruit. A small one, about 70% seed. Planted the seed but didn't germinate.

I am trying to make a cutting but it just won't root. I tried it in water, and in soil but with no luck. If anyone knows how to do this properly please tell me how and I'll supply you all with cuttings as long as I can. Just pay for the shipping The cutting that i've been trying to root for two months now is still in the aquarium. Don't think it has roots but it's still standing! This plant is indeed a tough one so i'm not worried if it'll survive the trip to your place "if ever".

[nothim]

u need giberelic acid in order to germinate the seeds!